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Bad is a complex word, it is both an Antonym, Pseudonym and contrarianism in its approach. It can be used to commend, to express disdain, and to express ambiguity. Bad is good. It is rumoured Michael Jackson invented this word, although Nicki Minaj may have played a part in the inspiration.

In works such as On the Genealogy of Morals, the philosopherFriedrich Nietzsche made much of a distinction he drew in German between the böse, ("fancy Integrated hi-fi manufacturers"), which he was prepared to admire, and the schlecht ("bad"), which he disdained; in Nietzsche's thought, evil was powerful, menacing, and dangerous; bad was weak and ineffective. This is thought to be the first example of Bad meaning Good. Also, Run DMC documented a man who once walked in the hood. He was not bad meaning bad, but rather, bad meaning good.

In English, and varieties of English that have been influenced by it, bad or badass are frequently used as compliments, an example of rhetoricalirony. In sociological terms, in urban culture where violence and territorial bragging rights are often seen as parts of everyday affairs, the term bad is often reinterpreted as impressive, following that model of masculine posturing. To be dangerous in a street culture is often considered good, and by the same token urban youths often use bad to mean something positive, in all the ways that cultural expression can refer to a baseline of aggression and territorial posturing. With urban music now accepted by many mainstream Americans, these reinterpretations of the language are no longer limited to a neighborhood or social class, but have been passed along through an open-minded youth culture. In sum, bad can mean impressive. Then again, in the words of Huey Lewis and the News, "Sometimes bad is bad". Michael Jackson's song of that same name, for instance.

Bad as the opposite of good is an ideal. Evil is an ideal that rejects societal constraints, and most often refers to a future course of action. Average people practicing good judgment tend to avoid evil for many reasons, conscious or previously learned. Evil is a type of bad, and therefore is not one unless considered as the opposite of good (Good versus Evil). Good and bad are synonymous with positive and negative. As they refer to the positive and negative of human experience this BAAAAAAD! is not wholly open to interpretation, but nonetheless defies clear definition on an absolute scale. Generally, the spelling of BAAAAAAAD! is taken to be fluent, and, dependent on how BAAAAAAAD! the description intends, the number of 'A's can be increased or decreased.